


buzzing in the light

by Anonymous



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff, M/M, Meeting the Family, Summer, but its not graphic, eric and jack have adventures in the country, someone gets burned so tw, this summer fic does not contain a pickup truck makeout scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2019-06-23 13:34:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15607380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Do you think anyone in the shabby farm houses they raced past could've fathomed the thoughts that were going through Jack's head as he fell in love on that hot July day?





	buzzing in the light

**Author's Note:**

> welcome to yet another 4th of july fic. hopefully this one's a little different. please enjoy! tw: someone gets burned by fire (its not graphic and they're just fine) towards the end but take care!
> 
> also this is my first fic to be over 1k so i feel proud :.)

There’s a pickup truck that’s been sitting in the parking lot of the Atlanta airport for an hour and a half, waiting.

There’s a young man, ducking to avoid hitting his head on his way out of an airplane that has flown in directly from Providence, Rhode Island. He wonders if people are staring at him, because he can’t keep the corners of his mouth down.

There’s a blond headed college student standing in the arrivals area of the Atlanta airport. He’s too excited to sit down, too fidgety to read or watch a video on his phone, and even listening to music was way too much for his buzzing and expectant brain.

And then, no one really notices in the crowd of people hurrying back and forth, no one really notices their reunion. The way the young man shoves his face in the crook of the college student’s neck, hiding his smile and the way his throat feels like it might shut, and breathing in the scent of sunscreen and sweat.

The college student pulls away from the hug, and for a moment their faces are very close together, with their noses almost touching. Someone might think that maybe they were going to kiss, right here next to this tiny iHop and a chinchy Atlanta gift shop. No, they were moving together now towards baggage claim, not exactly holding hands but not exactly willing to lose physical contact with each other yet.

When they loaded into the pickup truck that had to have been at least 103 degrees on the inside after baking out in the morning sun in the parking lot, the college student turned on the air conditioner with one hand and used the other to pull the young man into a kiss for the centuries.

The two drove for two hours, out of the city and out of the suburbs and into the countryside until the road turned bumpy with potholes and poor patching jobs and then there was nothing but gravel.

They were going to the college student’s Aunt Judy’s house for Independence Day, where his cousins and parents were waiting for them. It was the only place that could fit all of his relatives, (and she had a pool).

The young man was told all about the college student’s cousins as they rode, but he had a hard time paying attention with the way that his tank top fluttered around him, occasionally showing a flash of abdomen. The way he spoke, the way he laughed, the way he would occasionally lean over and pat his thigh… The young man couldn’t help but fall in love, right here in the July heat.

Do you think anyone in the shabby farm houses they raced past could've fathomed the thoughts that were going through that young man’s head?

**********

 

“C’mon c’mon c’mon everyone’s been waiting to meet you!” Bitty exclaimed, playfully shoving him up the sidewalk after they’d spent one final moment in the truck in silence, just soaking up each other’s presence.

Jack stepped inside the house, mentally steeling himself to interact with tons of strangers without going into Hockey Interview Mode. He was greeted with three mutts yipping at his heels, the literally mouth-watering smell of something cooking, and several grandmas dragging him into hugs as if he was their own son.

Jack frantically tried to remember the family run-down that Bitty had given him in the car as he was introduced to the extended family and put names to faces.

“I have mostly boy cousins,” he remembered him saying, “they’re all quite... Uhh... how do I put this…Rural?”

He shook hands with several elderly great-uncles and aunts- they all were genuinely kind and chatty with such thick southern accents he could barely understand what they were saying.

“Eric, honey, we’ve ‘bout been waiting all day for y’all to get here!” exclaimed Aunt Trish, squeezing poor Bitty into a bear hug and giving him a kiss on the cheek. “You and your friend better go on ahead and get your swimsuits on, all the other kids are already out back in the pool.”

Bitty turned back to Jack with a reassuring glance and a laugh, and pushed him back in the direction of a bathroom. “You heard the woman, Jack!”

Moments later, Bitty was holding open the back door for Jack as they stepped out into the backyard. You would’ve thought that Eric Bittle was a celebrity by the way the entire pool erupted with cheers.

“Eric!!! Eric!!! Come get in the pool with me!!!” Screeched a little chubby cheeked child who was clinging to a pool noodle for her dear life.

In the deep end were some of Eric’s older cousins, mostly young men, and two of their wives were reclining on lounge chairs nearby. Jack expected all of his cousins to look similar to Bitty and his mom, short and blonde, but it was now apparent that that wasn’t the case.

“Eric, who you got with you?” jokingly called a whip-thin cousin who was climbing out of the pool to jump off the diving board. Jack was shocked when he stood up- he had to be at least 6’4”. That must be Jim, then. Bitty was great with descriptions.

Bitty laughed at Jim’s question as he kicked off his flip-flops.

“Oh, some ugly old hobo I picked up between here and Macon… he looked sad, so I let him in my truck…”

Jack gave him a glare with a mischievous glint as he set his sandals next to Bitty’s.

“You know what they say about picking people up off the side of the road, Eric.” He laughed as he ambushed Bitty from behind. “They can be dangerous!” Jack shouted as he shoved Bitty into the pool. He landed with a satisfying splash and cheers and giggles from the young kids in the shallow end of the pool.

A heavyset man with a large cow skull tattooed on his back gave him a round of applause, shouting, “Yeah!! He’ll fit right in here, boys!”

“I’m Derek,” said tattooed cousin, lifting his hand for Jack to shake as Bitty sputtered behind him. As Jack went to shake his hand, Derek pulled him off his feet and into the pool, producing a much more satisfying splash than Bitty, and ear-piercing shrieks from the kids who were highly enjoying this free show. Jack plunged underneath the water, caught completely off guard by his surprising strength. Derek gave Bitty a massive high-five.

“It’s nice to meet you too,” Jack laughed, shaking water out of his hair, “is this how you always greet guests?”

“Only the hobo guests,” broad-shouldered Derek teased, not missing a beat.

“Now y’all be nice, he thinks southerners are supposed to be hospitable,” said Bitty, who had somehow already commandeered a floatie.

Jim, the tall cousin, chimed in. “Nice? Hospitable? I ain’t never even heard those words, Eric!”

“Jim, you’re a preacher,” Bitty said, laughing, and then turned to Jack as if he was looking into a camera on The Office.

“Nobody ever said he was a good preacher,” added the third guy who had been quiet up to this point.

“Now boys!” shouted someone’s wife from the lounge chairs.

“Yeah boys!” Jim mimicked, in the third cousin’s general direction, “Dylan, you didn’t even introduce yourself. You’re the rudest one here. Goddamn.” Jim went to sit on the edge of the pool, his lanky body almost humorously folding so he could sit.

“I’m Dylan,” said the third cousin, and he gave a two finger salute almost shyly in Jack’s direction. He had a short, millitary-esque haircut and appeared a bit more clean cut than Derek and Jim. Jack noticed he seemed pretty quiet, but in a way not unlike his own self.

“You’re Jack, right? Yeah. I’m not even related to these freaks, I’m just Jim’s best friend,” Dylan added.

So, not a cousin somehow. Great, this will definitely be easy to keep up with, Jack thought.

Jim jumped back into the pool to throw his stupidly long arms around Dylan at his declaration of their friendship. “Hell YEAH, he’s my best friend! I start the fires, and he puts ‘em out!”

“We aren’t kin.” Dylan said to Jack in mock seriousness, before bursting into laughter.

It made sense though-- Dylan didn’t quite look like the rest of the cousins. In fact, nothing much about these boys, or most of the rest of the cousins for that matter, really reminded him of Bitty at all, except for maybe the accent. Jack briefly pondered the idea of feeling like an outsider within your own family.

The Zimmermanns were an all-of-a-kind family. All hard-working, introverted and loving; dark-haired and athletic. Maybe that’s why he’s always felt like he needed to prove something to his father- prove that he really was a Zimmermann, that he deserved to carry that mantle. Maybe he didn’t deserve what he was born into. He was born into extreme privilege, he knew that, and his parents and extended family always loved and supported him. Hell, Jack’s parents knew and fully accepted that he was bisexual even before he did. Of course, the Zimmermans weren’t a perfect family, and there were definitely ups and downs throughout his growing up years, but he’d always felt like he belonged in his family. Watching Bitty with his family as the late morning turned to afternoon though, he realized that Bitty didn’t quite fit anywhere.

Oh, he knew Bitty was absolutely adored by all. I mean, how could you not? His nurturing spirit only grew sweeter and gentler in the thick summer heat. Bitty was a pro with the kids, never missed a beat chirping back and forth with his cousins, and was a welcome help in the kitchen with Aunt Judy. But something was missing. It was as if Bitty was their foreign friend who they liked but regarded with a sense of unfamiliarity-- there was a distance between them.

The things that made Bitty different from other people that Jack rarely ever even gave any thought to seemed palpable in the air. He spent time in the kitchen with some of his aunts, clearly in his element. Jack busied himself by washing dishes while Bitty ran about, tasting everything, making some flavor adjustments here and there, and stuffing something in the oven he didn’t quite catch. The older women didn’t quite know what to do with him, tiptoeing around him as he helped out in various areas, and occasionally making off-handed comments that were definitely in the category of micro-aggressions. (Thanks Shitty, for teaching him about those.) They insisted they were glad for his assistance.

Bitty brought Jack a bite of the chicken after it was finished cooking. It was honestly one of the best things Jack had ever put in his mouth. His first instinct was to make an obscene noise of pleasure- god, it was so smoky and juicy and delicious. How dare these women not properly recognize the culinary genius they had right in front of them!

Later, as they sat together at a long table made from a thick slab of polished wood, Bitty busied himself by serving the children who all sat as closely scooted up to him as possible. His parents were further down the table, and Jack found himself between Bitty and his great uncle. They couldn’t all fit at the table, of course, so Dylan, Jim and Derek all took their plates back outside. The family was loud and boisterous, but for some reason the flow of conversation would lag when Bitty would interject with his usual sunshiney-self, exaggerating everything he said with his exuberant hand gestures.

“Dicky, honey, go get Jack some more chicken. There’s plenty up there, and his plates already about clean.” instructed Bitty’s great aunt Dot.

Jack was about to protest and say he could get more chicken on his own, thank you very much, but Bitty jumped up quicker than he could talk.

“Yes ma’am,” Bitty said, and walked over to the kitchen to put another chicken breast on Jack’s plate.

As Bitty left the table, the attention turned to Jack and Bitty again. It took only a moment for Jack to regret inhaling that chicken so quickly.

“When I was teasing you about bringing a “special friend” over for the Fourth,” began Bitty’s poor oblivious Aunt Judy, “this isn’t exactly what I meant!”

Judy’s joke was met with riotous laughter from the table. Jack caught Bitty out of the corner of his eye nearly drop his plate on the floor.

“Oh, don’t mind me joking, Jack,” Judy continued, and God, Jack hoped she couldn’t see any kind of emotion on his face, “we’re glad to have you with us.”

“Well, thanks for having me.” Jack said, “I’m glad that Bit- I mean, Eric invited me. Everyone’s been so nice. And everything’s so delicious.” He nodded and gave a tight-lipped smile at everyone gathered around the table. “This is my first time celebrating the American Independence day.”

Thank goodness that managed to get the group off the topic of Bitty and his special friends. Amongst some questioning about Canada Day, Jack noticed Bitty call over the littlest girl at the table- Lacey.

After a brief conference with Lacey, Bitty handed her a plastic cup and sent her on her way before rejoining Jack at the table (with his extra helping of chicken).

“What was that all about, Bits?” Jack muttered to the side.

Bitty smiled. “Oh, we’re going to go get the kids some fireworks after we get done eating, so I sent Lacey to go look cute and ask everyone for donations so we can get some good ones.”

“Eric Bittle,” Jack said as he looked down fondly at his boyfriend, “You’re a genius.”

**********

It had been a moderately exhausting day interacting with all of Bitty’s relations, and although Jack would never admit it out loud to Bitty, he was getting very tired of most of them.

He tried to focus on the fact that they were somehow related to his angel of a boyfriend, (somehow, Christ how did any of these people share a shred of DNA with his Bitty?), and that Bitty did sincerely love all of them. I mean, of course he would. In any case, Jack was greatly relieved when he pulled him aside and asked if he would ‘please accompany him to the fireworks store.’

Jim, who was reclining on a worn leather La-z-boy, (“Preacher-man looks like a toothpick on a pillow on that dumbass recliner!” Derek screeched cheerfully.) threw Bitty a couple of keys on a ring as he made his way back out the front door with Jack and two barking dogs directly behind him. 

“If you bust it, you’re dead, Eric!” Jim called after them.

Bitty just continued forward, gravel crunching satisfyingly underneath his feet. He really was a sight here, in the evening sun. The horseflies that sprung up as he walked out towards where the cars were parked would’ve normally annoyed Jack, but today they seemed like friendly sprites making way for a greater creature to pass by. The long grass that trembled in the breeze, was crushed by Bitty’s foot, and then sprang up again suddenly seemed important beyond belief. Jack desperately wished for his camera.

It was at this time, as Jack was deep inside his mind and mostly looking along the ground that he looked up to see Bitty throwing his leg over a four-wheeler.

Well, shit. That’s what those keys were.

“Yeah, I figured you might want to ride on the four-wheeler! It’s not too far into town, and it’d be more interesting this way.” Bitty explained, as he coaxed Jack into sitting behind him.

He was… so handsome like this, straddling the seat, a little ruddy from the whole day outside and in the pool, and so relaxed with just Jack.

It was desperately unfortunate that Jack was afraid of riding on stuff like this. 

As Bitty settled in in front of him, Jack considered different ways to possibly get out of this situation without embarrassing himself, to the tune of a cow lowing in the distance.

Jack swallowed. “Uh… Bits…” he began, hesitant, “you do know how to drive this thing?”

Bitty whipped his golden head back to give him a glare.

“Jack Zimmermann.” He sounded absolutely indignant. “This used to be mine! I sold it to Jim when I moved up to Samwell. Didn’t really figure I’d be back here much to use it anymore.”

And with that, he cranked the engine and headed down the long driveway.

Jack was pressed up against his back in every place he could. He sincerely hoped that Bitty thought he was just excited to be close to him again. Which he certainly was, don’t misunderstand, he’d been desperate to get his hands on this boy all day. He’d just never really been a fan of riding in golf carts or things that moved without doors and well… In truth, he was scared shitless.

Bitty pulled out onto the main road, leaned back to tell Jack to hang on, and then floored it. He let out an excited whoop, and punched a fist into the air. Jack twisted his arms around Bitty’s stomach and tucked his chin against his shoulder. His heart was beating wildly, yes from being so closely intertwined with Bitty, but mostly from fear of immediate death.

It only took Bitty a minute to realize what was going on. Laughing, he put on the brakes and leaned back into Jack.

“Baby, are you scared?” Bitty was still laughing, but took an arm off the handles to squeeze his hand affectionately.

“No,” Jack said, but it was too late to lie. He already had hesitated exactly 0.3 seconds before replying, and Jack 110% Zimmermann didn’t hesitate. Bitty knew that good and well.

Jack swallowed. “It’s okay. I know you like to ride, I can tell.”

“Look, I won’t go too fast. In fact,” he said, speaking a little loudly over the engine still rumbling, “hang on just one second.”

Bitty pulled the four-wheeler up around a bend, maneuvered over to the side, and then cut it off.

“Bits, why’d you stop?”

Bitty pulled the key out of the ignition and put it in his pocket, looking back at Jack without saying anything.

“We don’t have to stop, it’s alright,” Jack began again, feeling himself blush ashamedly, “I’d just never been on an ATV before.” he rubbed his arms, a nervous habit, and tried to read the look on Bitty’s face. “I’m really--”

“Jack, please,” Bitty said, “kiss me.”

And well.

Jack took his face in both hands and kissed him passionately and frantically, pushing all of his nervous and embarrassed energy into a kiss that had been building all day. One of Bitty’s hands instantly snaking up the back of his shirt and the other gripping hard in his hair. His mouth was infinitely soft, so soft Jack felt like maybe he could drown in it. He could feel Bitty lick further into his mouth, over his teeth, and somehow it made his heart race faster than it was before. Then Bitty took his bottom lip between his teeth very gently, and pulled back just enough to look him in the eyes. The little sound that this action elicited from Jack brought a high blush to both of their cheeks.

They kissed for some time longer, until Jack came up for air and pressed his forehead to Bitty’s.

“Bits,” he said, a little out of breath, “What if someone drives by?”

Bitty pressed three more soft kisses on his lips before responding.

“We’ll hear them coming.” 

Bitty smoothed his hand through Jack’s hair again before settling it at the nape of his neck.

Besides the screech of cicadas buzzing around them, the whole world was still as Bitty pressed kiss after close-mouthed kiss to his lips, his cheeks, his eyelids, the shell of his ear-

Jack felt like was floating.

“Bits…” he whispered, not trusting himself to say anything more, and with his heart caught in his throat.

With knowing eyes, Bitty flattened both of his palms over Jack’s hot cheeks.

“Are you still scared?” he teased while running a thumb over Jack’s slightly swollen bottom lip.

Jack rolled his eyes. “If I say yes, will you keep kissing me?”

For that, he was pulled into a hug.

“We still have to go get those fireworks.” Bitty reminded him, pulling the keys back out of his pocket. “I know some little ones who will be very excited to get a sparkler from ‘Jack The Canadian.’”

“Alright, Bits,” Jack chuckled, still feeling a bit lightheaded from all that kissing.

Bitty turned all the way back around from where he sat and cranked the engine once more.

“But don’t go too fast!” He hoped he had shouted loud enough for Bitty to hear over the growl of the four-wheeler.

He took it at a nice and leisurely pace, and Jack watched as fields passed him on left and right. Occasionally he’d see some cows or an old farmhouse, but it was nearly all empty countryside for the rest of the duration of the 15 minute ride. He felt the spit on his face dry in the wind whipping all around them, and as they rode down the road, the whole earth was covered in a golden light. He felt sorry at the way he’d laughed when Bitty called it “God’s Country” earlier on in the car.

They reached the fireworks store after a few more minutes riding down the road. He was finally convinced that the ATV wasn’t going to instantly kill them both, and so as they pulled up to a questionable looking shack with wind-blown hair, Jack was feeling adventurous.

Jack figured the phrase “fireworks store” should be used pretty loosely. It was a tiny building with a front counter, one old man, and several shelves behind him-- you just had to point to what fireworks you wanted and he’d pull them down for you. Somehow, there was still a pretty decent selection.

Jack let Bitty do all the talking. The owner of the fireworks shack was a distant cousin of Bitty’s, and he gave them a decent discount. Bitty would occasionally lean back in his direction, asking for his opinion on various options, like whether he thought it would be a better deal to get two three-packs of chickens that laid little fiery eggs, or three tanks that rolled forward when lit and spewed out sparkles resembling gunfire (they settled on one tank and one pack of chickens).

They got a few larger scale ones for the older kids to light, one called “Purple Rain” and another one that Jack picked out because it had a flowering cactus on it.

Bitty had been carefully adding up the price of all the assorted explosives so that they spent the exact amount of money little Lacey had collected in her plastic cup, plus two dollars provided by Jack. The old man bagged up their goods and stuck three packs of cheap sparklers in their sack for free for being “such nice young men.”

And just like that, they were back on the four-wheeler, flying through the trees again in the twilight.

“Bits, how is the sun only just now setting? It’s like, 8:30.” Jack mused, talking over the crunch of gravel and dirt beneath them.

“I dunno. How come the sun’s never out late in the north? That’s the question we should be asking here. S’no fair. C’mon, sun. Get it together.” Bitty called back.

The stars were starting to become brighter and brighter in the sky as they neared Aunt Judy’s house again, and Jack strangely felt his heart rise to his throat again as he looked up into the wide expanse of sky while still clinging to Bitty on the back of the four-wheeler. He suddenly felt so young, or maybe he felt the weight of all the years he’d lived so far, or maybe he just felt alive.

He clutched the bag of fireworks tight against his chest.

**********

The fireworks were a huge hit with the kids. Bitty made them all behave and sit on the front porch steps as Jack ran out to light them in the driveway (“an appropriate distance away,” Bitty had said.)

After each explosion, Lacey would drag another firework out of the bag and give it to Bitty. When she smiled, her chubby cheeks smooshed up and made her eyes disappear. The effect was almost painfully cute.

“Uncle Eric! Uncle Eric! Make Mr. Jack do this one!” Lacey cried, giggling with delight. Jack dutifully came over to her to inspect her next selection. He made a big show of telling her how it was the perfect one to light next, and that she must be a firework professional. He had forgotten how much he liked little kids.

Dirt and grass and everything else stuck to Jack’s sweaty legs. He crouched to set fire to another firework and then jumped up and ran away from it as dramatically as possible, to the utter delight of the kids.

There were six little ones sitting up on the porch with their beloved Uncle Eric, and it was way more entertaining to watch their gleeful round faces light up from the glow of the crackling fireworks than it was to watch even their best purchase.

After all the big ones were burned up, Jack and Bitty started handing out sparklers to the ones who were old enough to play with them. Amidst the pandemonium that only a gang of children with flames on sticks can bring, Bitty’s favorite cousin, Laura, showed up.

Bitty had talked about Laura the most out of all the cousins on the ride over, and Jack had seen him texting her at various points throughout the time they’d known each other. Bitty had mentioned that if he was to come out to any of his family members, she would be the first to know.

“You could tell her about me,” Jack had said after Bitty made this confession, “if you wanted.”

Bitty had bit the inside of his cheek at that. “We’ll see.”

Jack made sure that the kids weren’t immediately going to set each other ablaze and then walked over with Bitty to meet Laura. She had a gentle spirit, and thick, straight brown hair pulled into a simple ponytail.

“You must be Jack? Oh, well it is so nice to meet you. Eric talks ‘bout you all the time!” Laura said quietly. She had an extremely firm handshake.

“It’s nice to meet you, too, Laura. You’ve heard good things, I hope?” Jack laughed, a bit of mischief in his voice.

“He didn’t much like when he had to wake up at the same time I did. He said waking up that early is only for farm hands and hockey crazy assh--“

“Okay, Laura! That is Enough of That, thank you!” Bitty said, laughing nervously. “We’ve come a long way since those first checking practices.”

Laura was his second cousin, and she was certainly just as country as the rest of them-- in fact, she lived only a few miles down the road from Aunt Judy. Laura made her living giving piano lessons to kids from the different families that lived near the area and playing hymns for three different churches. She was more genuine than the rest of the relations Jack had met. She was excited to meet him, and told him in her sweet southern voice that she’d even watched a Falconers game to better understand what it was that he did (Bitty later explained it was her first time ever to watch a full game of hockey- she’d never quite made the trip to see Bitty on his high school team). Laura also proudly informed him that she owned the cow he had heard bellowing earlier that day, also with a small herd they’d passed on the way to the fireworks store.

After some brief small talk with Laura in the light from the porch, Jack nudged Bitty aside for a minute.

“Go on and have some time to catch up with her. I’ll go help Derek and… uh… whoever else pick up the trash from the fireworks, okay?” Jack said, slightly under his breath. He was having some trouble keeping up with names.

“Jack,” Bitty considered his proposition for a moment. “Are you sure? I don’t mind if you want to sit with us.”

Jack shook his head. “No, you should catch up just the two of you. I get to talk to you all the time, and Laura hasn’t seen you in a year.”

Bitty couldn’t really argue with that. “Alright. But if they get too… rowdy, just come on back over, okay?”

“Okay. And you know, if we stay out a little late, your parents will already be asleep when we get back to your place. Just a thought.” Jack said seriously, but with a laugh in his eyes and a bit of an eyebrow wiggle. Not that he was going to try to put the moves on Bitty, of course. Although he definitely wouldn’t mind making out a bit before going to sleep.

Bitty rolled his eyes. “Alright, you goof. Now go on.”

“Oh wait!” Bitty called, after Jack had turned around to go towards where the other boys were. “The other guy next to Derek is Andy. He’s Jim’s big brother.” Then he added in barely a whisper, “sometimes he’s an asshole. But usually he’s quiet. And he should be good around Derek.”

Jack snorted. “Okay Bits. I think I can handle it.” He punched him gently on the arm. It was the most affection he thought would be appropriate around the rest of the family at this moment. Alright, Derek is the broad one with the chirps, so that means the guy who looked like he’d just come in from the field must be Andy, Jack thought. He could see the resemblance between Andy and Jim-- Andy had Jim’s height, except instead of being slim, he looked like he could be one of Jack’s linemen. Jack hummed aloud. Time to go make friends!

With that, Jack walked further on in the yard to pick up the remaining firework trash pieces, and work on their little bonfire that Derek had gotten started. He did, however, make sure he was within earshot of Bitty and Laura, although just barely.

Jack could hear bits and pieces of Bitty and Laura’s conversation, and he couldn’t help but to eavesdrop. Admittedly, he was curious about what they were going to discuss now that they had a moment alone. It was just that he felt that although Bitty loved all of his relatives, he was truly friends with Laura. Jack had never seen Bitty interact with anyone other than his teammates, and a few people from campus.

Laura obviously cared about Bitty more than just the required amount that you had to care for your cousins, and for that, he was grateful.

“Eric, you’ve got to tell me all about Samwell. How’d it go this year? Was it even better than last?” Jack heard Laura exclaim, as the two went to sit by the pool.

Jack busied himself by picking up some burnt cardboard pieces nearby as he was listening. He heard Bitty splash his feet in excitement and he had to swallow back a smile.

“Oh Laura. Yes. It was so good. So much happened.” Bitty giggled a tiny bit after that statement. “And--”

“They being nice to you? Still?”

“Yes, I told you not to worry--”

“Even the hockey boys?”

“Yes. Especially the hockey boys.”

Laura paused.

“Eric…”

They were quiet for a moment, except for the sounds of the two quietly swishing their feet through the water.

“Laura. You can ask. It’s okay.”

“... I’m scared to say it.”

“Laura. It’s okay.”

“No, what if I’m wrong? You might not know what I’m about to say.”

“Just say it already! God, this suspense is too damn much.”

Jack knew exactly what Bitty was implying. He wondered if Laura was going to ask.

“And… Jack?”

Laura paused again.

“He’s your… your uhh… you know?”

“Yes.” Jack could hear the smile in Bitty’s voice. “Yes.”

“Oh. Oh!” Laura started giggling uncontrollably. “Oh Eric, oh my. Eric.”

“What? Oh god, what?” Bitty was laughing now too, although a little wetly.

The next part of their conversation was lost as Andy let out a wheezing laugh next to Jack and threw some logs into a cast-iron pot. (“Technically we’re under burn notice, but Dylan’s here and he swore he wouldn’t tell the fire chief,” Andy proudly claimed).

“I just always knew it’d be you. From when we were little.” That was Laura’s voice again.

“What do you mean?” Bitty’s voice had lost it’s mirth.

“You’d be the one to, you know, go on out of here. Be something real special.”

“Laura, you could leave, too. If you ever wanted to. It doesn’t have to be-”

“Eric.” Laura said, solemn and hollow.

“I know.”

There was silence again, followed by some splashing. Probably Bitty trying to lighten the mood.

Laura’s whisper barely made it to Jack’s ears. “He’s awful handsome.”

Bitty kept laughing, or maybe he was crying a little bit, too. “I agree.”

Laura’s voice again: “Very handsome, Eric. That’s really something, ain’t it.”

“What is?”

“You know! You. And him.”

“Oh Laura, we’ve only just started to… well. We haven’t… uhm. It’s only been a few months.”

 

**********

“So, you like playin’ hockey?” Andy asked, a bit dumbly, as he handed a few pieces of cardboard to his seven-year old son to toss in the trash pile. Most of the other kids and families had gone inside or started going home, but some of the young men had stayed behind to drink a few beers. Apparently, Andy’s son Hunter couldn’t be convinced to leave with his mother and little sister.

“Yeah, I like playing hockey. It’s really nice that it gets to be my job.” Jack replied, silently wishing that Bitty was over here with him instead of soaking his feet in the pool beside Laura. Although he was glad they were catching up, if he was going to be completely honest, he selfishly wished they could hurry up their conversation and get over here. Deep conversation time had now turned into them chattering excitedly about various recipes and Laura’s cattle.

“I ain’t never seen hockey, if i was gonna be honest with you. In fact, I really never been much outside of this part of the country. Couple times, me and my dad been down to Atlanta. Then one time we all went to Chattanooga. But I don’t travel much anymore. Cause of my farm. I do most of the tending on it myself.” Andy seemed like he wasn’t sure if Jack would be offended if he had never seen ice hockey. He plopped a folding chair down in front of where he was stoking a small bonfire, and pointed towards another chair leaning up against the shed for Jack to do the same.

“I see. Well. That’s alright. It really is a bit of a northern sport, I suppose. I’d never watched that much football until I came to the States for school.” Jack responded good-naturedly as he went to go and get his chair.

“You don’t say? Ohh yeah, we love football. Hunter’s been playing some football with kids at school. Ain’t that right, Hunter?” Andy nudged Hunter with his foot.

“Yessir. That’s right.” Hunter looked up at Jack from where he was sitting crosslegged on the ground, throwing little bits of grass into the fire.

Through the darkness, Jack could make out the silhouette of Derek walking towards them with his own chair, a case of beer, and some other bottle-ish thing.

“Andy, you ready for this?” Derek shouted, and tossed the bottle-ish thing into Andy’s lap. It was a large flask.

Andy let out a wild whoop before taking at least three swallows out of the flask. He leaned back in his chair and sighed, reaching out to pass it to Jack. The smell was eye-wateringly strong- it smelled way worse than anything he’d regretfully drank during his days at Samwell.

“Nah. Thanks though,” Jack said as his gently pushed Andy’s hand away.

Jack settled in his chair and talked to Andy and Derek for a while, mostly about sports or occasionally fishing or something about the weather. Apparently, Dylan had already gone back to his place-- he was back on his shift at the fire station early the next morning. (Everyone was so weirdly enthusiastic about Dylan being a firefighter? It was always brought up when someone mentioned Dylan.) After about an hour, Andy and Derek had chugged all the beers with great enthusiasm, and Andy had nearly finished off whatever kind of horrible smelling stuff was in the flask.

After they’d talked as much as introverted men can possibly force themselves to talk, they finally resigned themselves to sipping on their various beverages and staring up at the stars above them. Hunter seemed to be happy sitting in the grass by the fire. He had to be pretty sleepy by now, it was starting to get late.

It was a nice night; it had cooled off considerably since early evening. Jack couldn’t remember the last time he’d been able to just sit and look up at the stars like this without a to-do list in the back of his head. He let his mind wander to kissing Bitty, and the fact that he was feeling a bit itchier than usual. Thankfully, the smoke from their fire was discouraging most of the mosquitos from getting to them.

However, Jack could feel himself start to grow slightly uncomfortable. The two men were definitely pretty drunk (especially Andy) and Hunter, this seven-year-old kid, was still out there with them.

After not too much longer, Derek stood up, bid them goodnight, and lumbered away with his folding chair back towards the house. He had told them earlier that he was spending the night on Judy’s couch and would return home in the morning. Jack imagined he’d probably pass out instantaneously once he reached the sofa.

Andy was unreasonably drunk at this point. He’d occasionally slap his leg and mutter something in Jack’s direction, and he had emptied the flask fifteen minutes ago. He was starting to throw some of the empty beer cans into the fire.

“Hey man. Don’t do that.” Jack said, trying to be genial. “I’ll throw them away in a minute.”

Naturally, Andy became irrationally angry at Jack’s suggestion.

Jack had wanted to give Bitty and Laura all the time they needed to catch up, especially after seeing how his other relatives acted around him, but this was no longer a situation he wanted to be in. He was beginning to wonder if Andy was going to pass out, the way he was lolling back and forth in his seat. The whole thing gave Jack a weirdly sick feeling in his stomach, and he really just wanted to be resting somewhere with just his boyfriend. Bitty would understand. Besides, maybe his departure would encourage Andy to move inside or something.

He stood and began to fold up his chair.

“Jaaack. Don’t you leave me here, boy! We’re having a good time together! I ain’t going back in yet!” Andy’s words were slurred and almost unintelligible.

Jack ignored him as he picked up the cans scattered around them. Hunter looked like he was nearly asleep where he sat.

“Alright. Go on then. Go on n’--” He could just barely make out Andy mumbling something about Bitty under his breath.

Jack took a deep breath.

“Goodnight Andy. It was nice to meet you.” he said with a monotone voice that would’ve cut like ice had Andy not been so incapacitated.

With a softness, he acknowledged the boy still sitting near his feet. “Goodnight, Hunter. Be good, eh?”

Hunter had proudly helped Jack with some of the slightly bigger fireworks. He figured he was a sweet kid. He still had those doe eyes and soft cheeks. He also figured it was way past his bedtime.

“Hunter!” Andy barked at his son, who was staring at Jack, motionless. “Get up and tell Jack goodbye the right way!”

Never mind that Andy hadn’t bothered to get up to shake his hand, but what could Jack do?

Hunter sleepily clambered to his feet, rubbing an eye with the back of his hand. His little shirt was stained with pink splotches from watermelon they’d eaten earlier that day. “Bye, Mr. Jack, good luck on your hockey.” he said, as he staggered towards him.

Jack had opened his mouth to respond when Hunter’s foot slipped on a beer can resting on slick grass that he’d missed when he was picking up. Hunter threw out his arms on instinct to try to catch himself, but in doing so, he accidentally flung his right arm directly into their little bonfire.

Time slowed down. Jack helplessly watched the flames lick up across his forearm. It was for only a moment, but it was enough for Hunter to screech in pain and pull his arm back, and for Jack to lunge forward and pull him out of the way of the fire, lifting him up to his chest. Hunter began to cry loudly in pain, and he reached up and threw his good arm around Jack’s neck.

“Hey hey hey, Hunter, hey, it’s okay,” Jack said, keeping the panic out of his voice, “it’s okay, here, let me see. Let me see it.”

Andy must've been too out of it to really understand what was going on. Jack could hear his saying something, probably yelling at Hunter to stop crying, but Andy was the last thing on his mind at this point.

Hunter shakily held out his arm for Jack to see, still crying hard. It was an angry red, and there was some slight blistering, but overall it could've been much worse. The crying and commotion had caught the attention of Bitty and Laura, as far away as they were, and Jack could see them running over to him.

“Oh, that’s not too bad, Hunter. Not too bad at all. Bet that hurts, eh? Yeah. Alright. Hang with me for a minute okay? See, look, your Uncle Eric is coming right now.” Jack said, pointing towards Bitty.

“Jack!” Bitty was out of breath, and rushed up to Hunter, putting a hand on the back of his head where it was nestled in Jack’s shoulder against his neck. “What in the world happened?”

Jack’s answer was calm and authoritative. It was a practiced tone, used for quickly explaining plays to his teammates and would soon be used in locker room interviews. Tonight, he used it in hopes that it would calm Hunter down, even just a little bit. “Hunter burned his arm in the fire.” He addressed the boy in his arms quietly. “Look, can you show your Uncle Eric for me?”

Bitty took Hunter’s wrist and turned it gently back and forth so he could assess the burn.

He turned back towards Laura. “Run go get me a soft t-shirt, and the four-wheeler keys.” She dashed off without question.

The kid plonked his head back over on Jack. He covered Hunter’s head with his hand, trying to soothe him. Jack had seen a lot of injuries before for sure, some that would play back in high definition against the back of his eyelids should he conjure up the memory, but never with someone quite so small.

“Bitty, shouldn’t we call the ambulance?” Hunter was still crying hard, but not quite as loud.

Laura was already back with the t-shirt and keys. Bitty took the t-shirt, tore it once, and began very gingerly wrapping it around Hunter’s arm.

“No, it’ll take way too long for it to get all the way out here. Hunter’s mom is a nurse, and she lives just over that way,” he pointed directly into the pasture behind the house. “It’d take 20 minutes on the road, but we can cut through the field on the four wheeler and make it ten. Ellen will know what to do from there.”

“You hear that?” Jack said to Hunter, shifting his weight on his hip, “We’re about to ride the four-wheeler back to your house. That’s gonna be fun, huh?” Hunter lifted his head and nodded, wiping away some snot with his uninjured arm.

Bitty glanced back at Laura and tossed her his cell phone. “Call Ellen and tell her what’s happened, and that we’re on our way.”

Looking around behind Jack, Bitty noticed Andy, still sitting in his chair, swaying a bit. Bitty cursed underneath his breath as he put together Andy’s state and the empty flask and bottles around him, and began running towards the four-wheeler when he stopped short.

“And Laura, I hate to ask you this, but could you give Andy a ride home? Ellen will want him home when she sees Hunter.”

“Yeah Eric, don’t worry about it.” Laura called back to him confidently, preparing herself to have to drag Andy out of that stupid lawn chair.

**********

 

There’s a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere, lying beneath a wide sky dotted with stars.

There’s a young woman who feels trapped out here, suffocating beneath responsibilities she can’t shed. She’s pulling her alcoholic cousin out of a chair. It’s not the first time she’s done this.

There’s a man with more fear and joy and passion than he thinks his chest can hold, sometimes. He’s more man than the roughest of his family, and yet he hears ever whisper, feels every side-glance deep in his soul. He’s driving a four-wheeler to where his boyfriend stands in the distance with a child in his arms. He relishes every fleck of mud he feels land on his ankles, because they ground him, remind him he won’t float away from so much love in his heart.

There’s a man standing alone, with a kid he barely knows clinging to him, making some kind of parody of mother and child in the firelight. On solid, defrosted ground, this man feels different than he ever has before.

There’s a boy being cradled, being held more carefully and lovingly than a man has held him in years. He can feel himself drifting, his arm feels like its still on fire and he’d really like to sleep. The boy’s forehead is pressed up against his Uncle Eric’s friend’s neck, but that feels okay right now. He liked Mr. Jack, he talked quiet to him. Nobody really talked quiet to him any more. Things get hazy from there, but he remembers when Mr. Jack carries him to the four-wheeler and holds him firmly so he won’t jostle around too much. His Uncle Eric turned back at them and told him not to be scared. Uncle Eric’s hand was on his shoulder, but his eyes met Mr. Jack’s.

**********

“Alright bud, we’re almost back to your house. And your mom is going to take good care of you, okay?” Jack said into Hunter’s ear as his trailer grew closer on the horizon. Hunter had thankfully dried his tears, for the most part. The burn was significant, to be sure, but he’d be just fine. Chicks dig scars, or whatever.

“Then I can go to your house?” Hunter asked Jack in his tiny, groggy voice.

Jack couldn’t help but laugh. “We’ll see, bud.”

Bitty let himself in the front door, which had been handily unlocked for him by Ellen. Jack was on his heels and was slightly relieved when he was able to immediately deposit Hunter into Ellen’s arms. She was shockingly young, but her eyes were tired and surrounded with lines. Ellen looked up to Jack’s face and gave him the most Christian blessing he’d ever received in his life.

“Eric—what can I say. Thank you for looking after my boy. I shoulda made him come back with me, I didn’t think—“ Ellen was emotional and distraught, and Jack felt a surge of compassion for this woman he’d never met until now.

“Ellen, this is not your fault!” Bitty put his hands on her shoulders. “Is there anything else we can do for you?”

Ellen shook her head. “I have everything I need for Hunter right here. You boys need to get on back, it’s getting real late.”

Bitty turned to Jack as he spoke, “We won’t keep you. Keep me updated about Hunter, okay?”

“Alright.” Ellen was stroking her son’s back, who had fallen asleep the moment he felt his mother’s embrace. “Y’all take care now. Call me tomorrow if you get a chance.”

**********

There’s two young men in a small bed, one laid over the other, fast asleep.

One has a hand on the other’s back, and he can feel the heat and the life and the soul positively radiating from him.

Did anyone notice, did anyone wake up in a cold sweat that night in Madison, Georgia, did anyone stop suddenly on the street and realize that Jack Zimmermann was falling so deeply in love?

A little boy woke up on July 5th with his arm bandaged and his head pounding. The events of the night before came back to him, the strong and tender arms that had carried him all that way, and the way that the eyes of his Uncle Eric got so soft when they looked at Mr. Jack.

“Mama!”

Ellen raced into his room  


“What is it, baby? How’s your arm?”

“Can I play hockey?”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading.
> 
> A lot of Bitty’s family and his experiences with family are based off my own. I don’t know what it’s like to be a semi-closeted gay man in the south, but I do know what it’s like to be a semi-closeted gay woman in the south. Writing this has been somewhat therapeutic for me, I think. All we can do is try to be the best person we can be in the situations that we are in. <3


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